Covid dampens Eid celebrations across states
NEWDELHI:Under the shadow of the Covid-19, Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Sunday marked Eid al-Fitr, but the usual fervour and celebrations were missing. Although the lockdown was partially eased to allow shopping and short travel, people remained indoors and avoided customary meetings to maintain physical distancing and check crowding at public places. The rest of the country will celebrate Eid on Monday.
Prayer gatherings, outdoor celebrations and other public events were curtailed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. No Eid prayers were offered for the second consecutive time in major mosques of Kashmir. All the shrines put up banners saying no congregational prayers were being organised.Last year, Eid-ul-Azha prayers could not be offered in Kashmir because the authorities imposed a strict curfew in the wake of the effective revocation of Article 370.
In Kerala too, the usual fervour associated with Eid was missing. Many shopkeepers in Kozhikkode said their business had been one-tenth the usual level in the last two days. Besides the lockdown norms, lack of money also forced many people to remain indoors, they said. With other states celebrating the festival on Monday, guidelines were being put in place by governments and the religious heads. There will be no relaxations for Eid prayers in Uttarakhand. Ashok Kumar, director general (law & order) Uttarakhand police said. “The restrictions will be in place as they are at present.”
Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee appealed to the Muslim community to celebrate Eid indoors so that social distancing norms are not violated. The Bengal Imams Association made the same appeal. In Madhya Pradesh, Masjid committee (Bhopal) superintendent Yasar Aarafat said, “Only five selected persons will offer the prayer at the mosque at Eidgaah. People will offer prayers at home. There will be no hugging also on the occasion.” In Goa too, there will be no community celebrations this year. In Chhattisgarh, prayers will be offered in the mosques, but no more than five people will be allowed.
In Uttar Pradesh too, both Shia and Sunni clerics asked the faithful to keep Eid a lowkey affair.